Advertising and marketing for the vet

The visual appearance of a company - or in this case a veterinary practice - is known as the Corporate Design labelled. With the help of an individual combination of LogoThe combination of the brand name, font and colours creates a kind of unmistakable "visual signature". It offers a high recognition value and helps to differentiate the practice from its competitors. In addition to the website, the corporate design is also used on practice posters, signage, stationery, business cards and prescription pads. Regardless of whether you are taking over a practice or at any other time, a standardised, high-quality corporate design is a small investment that has a lasting effect.

Nowadays, the majority of users surf the Internet via smartphone, tablet or desktop computer - so it is quickly (and unpleasantly) noticeable if the website is outdated and not easy to read on these devices. An up-to-date website ensures that the content is displayed optimally on all devices so that the reader doesn't click straight through to the next veterinary website. To ensure that the veterinary practice website achieves a wide reach and appeals to as many potential customers as possible, it is therefore important to create it with a responsive design - it literally "responds" to the different requirements and ensures that the website automatically adapts to different screen sizes and is as user-friendly as possible.

Before the pet owner makes an appointment for their beloved pet, they want to be sufficiently informed and convinced. The content on the website, also known as "content" in online marketing, must therefore be informative and offer added value. It is not enough to simply list the services - in addition to the range of services, articles and information texts should also be included on the website, for example on relevant topics such as neutering and sterilisation, nutritional advice for animals or tips on settling in for a new four-legged addition to the family. Seasonal articles on tick prophylaxis in spring and summer, tips for holidays with pets or other interesting topics are also a good idea. A news blog is a good section on the website for this purpose.
In addition, all basic questions should of course be answered on the vet's homepage, e.g.

• What are the opening hours?
• Do I need an appointment? When is the next one available? Is it possible to book an appointment online?
• How do I get to the practice (directions)? Is it barrier-free? What are the car parking facilities like?
• How are waiting times bridged? Is there food or water for my four-legged friend?
• What does the practice look like? Are there separate waiting areas for dogs and cats/small animals?
• Are the vet assistants helpful and courteous?
• Does the vet respond to my questions and fears?
• Will I be informed about upcoming vaccination dates in good time?
• What payment options does the practice offer?
• Are there co-operations with other doctors and clinics?

Very important! High-quality photos are crucial for the success of a vet website. This is because the images and photos immediately catch the eye of visitors and convey a first impression, whereas the text has to be read first. Images arouse emotions like no other design element. High-quality, appealing image pictures therefore contribute enormously to the pet owner deciding in favour of an appointment with this vet.

In addition, there should always be a professional photo shoot at the practice. A photo of the doctor with his favourite animal, perhaps his own pet, makes him appear approachable, friendly and likeable. Photos of the vet together with the veterinary nurse during an examination of a four-legged patient also come across as competent and confidence-inspiring, as do conversations or counselling situations with the owners. A group photo of the practice team also conveys the positive atmosphere within the team.

We will be happy to advise you on all the points you need to consider when taking photos for your homepage and can also arrange suitable photographers on request.

More than 90 per cent of all users start their search on Google, the largest and most important search engine in Germany. For a veterinary website to be successful, it must be at the top of Google's search results. This is only possible if the website meets the relevant criteria and is optimised for the search engine. The keyword here is Search engine optimisation - SEO for short (Search Engine Optimisation).

Optimising a website for Google requires special knowledge because this area is very extensive. It is therefore often carried out by specialised agencies. These agencies employ real SEO experts who have extensive and up-to-date knowledge of search engine optimisation. When creating the website, these experienced web developers can take care of important details in consultation with the vet and thus create the best conditions for a good ranking in search engines.

Good to know: After the veterinary website goes live, it may take some time (weeks to months) before the website can be found on Google. An exact ranking prediction is not possible, as Google rankings change daily. We prepare your veterinary website optimally for Google and, if you wish, we can of course also look after it afterwards.

You can also find additional information on the topic of Google optimisation on our page SEO for doctors.

Keywords literally play a key role in the success of a website. In concrete terms, this means that the text must contain the words or word phrases with which you as a vet want to be found. For example, if you want to be found with the keyword "homeopathy for dogs", you should ideally create a separate page for this topic and analyse it from different angles.

If the relevant terms are not present in the text, Google cannot establish a link between the search term and the website - and simply does not list them in the search results. However, it is important not to overload the text completely with the defined keywords. Because then it no longer reads attractively and the reader will quickly click off and move on. A good, keyword-optimised text strikes a balance between findability and reader-friendliness.

If you want to appear at the top of the search engines, you sometimes have to be patient and take your time - depending on the industry and the number of competitors, this can take weeks or months. If you are a vet and don't want to wait that long for new visitors, you can book targeted paid advertising with Google and attract visitors to your website immediately.

With purchased adverts on Google, known as Google Ads, the customer pays per click on the advert. The amount of the click price is linked to various factors that Google calculates individually for each click. A Google Ads account can be set up quickly, but can swallow up money unnecessarily if the account is not regularly optimised and professionally managed. Paid advertising such as Google Ads is therefore better off in the hands of experts, as they ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Modern technology makes it possible to exchange information anytime and anywhere. Pet owners do this too - and browse various sites and portals on the internet to find out about the experiences of other pet owners. This is all the more true as services for animals have to be paid for privately.

The following websites publish reviews from pet owners:

• Doctor rating portals such as Jameda.de
• other rating portals such as Google itself
• social networks such as Facebook
• Forums and blogs

Some pet owners spread negative reviews about a vet, often due to misunderstandings or communication problems. Quick action is then required, as a bad review can permanently damage the image of the veterinary practice. Simply ignoring it is therefore not a good idea - instead, you should always take a stand and offer a dialogue, for example, to resolve the conflict.

A comprehensive reputation analysis is useful for every veterinary practice. It provides information about the general satisfaction of visitors to the practice and can serve as a guideline for further measures. However, this one-off analysis is not enough - the vet must search the internet for new reviews at regular intervals and respond appropriately to negative reviews. This can be difficult and time-consuming for a layperson. Here too, our specialists are happy to offer the appropriate support.

Draw attention to yourself!

After the professional creation of the veterinary website comes the next marketing step - increasing findability, both offline and online.
The vet's website must be found by potential customers or pet owners using relevant terms (keywords). There are many ways to direct visitors to the website:

• The Internet address definitely belongs on your own Practice sign and on posters. It should be an integral part of the address details. Pet owners strolling past the practice can memorise the internet address - which should be as simple as possible - and take a virtual look at the practice before booking an appointment.
• Also in social networks like Facebook & Instagram more and more pet owners are talking to each other about their beloved animals. A presence here is therefore highly recommended for the veterinary practice and the team: The owner experiences the practice up close, the team receives direct and immediate feedback, and the encounter on an emotional level creates the basis for a lasting connection.
• Publishing articles in regional newspapers about a topical issue also attracts increased attention. Animals are often abandoned during holiday periods - for example, what should you do if you find one? The name, address and internet address are usually listed under the article. This advertising measure costs nothing, apart from the effort of writing. Regional newspapers are often grateful if they are provided with high-quality reports.
• Google Business Entry
• Entries on doctor search engines and portals such as Jameda.de